HE’S BAAAACK – Who can forget the 1996 Breeders’ Cup races at Woodbine? – it was a gorgeous October day and the best in the world were at our track. This guy was the hero of the day, winning a 4 horse close finish in the Classic, beating the might CIGAR.
It’s ALPHABET SOUP, who has moved from the sun in Florida to lots of snow in Caledon East, Ontario at Gardiner Farms.
Dave Landry caught the stallion last week having some fun.
KEENELAND JANUARY STARTS UP
Average price dives 37%
Canadian purchases from day 1:
0201 DB/BR.M. Ever Elusive Josham Farms Limited, Agent 105,000
Three Chimneys Sales, Agent for Padua Stables
0298 B.F. Mimi’s Kids Clayton Gray 4,000
Magdalena Farm, Agent
0350 CH.F. Recollect Tall Oaks Farm 32,000
FROM THE BLOOD-HORSE
by Deidre Biles
The Keeneland horses of all ages sale opened Jan. 11 in Lexington with major losses, suffering downturns of 44.8% in gross revenue, 37.4% in average price, and 25.9% in median price from a year ago. According to Geoffrey Russell, Keeneland’s director of sales, the steep declines reflected a drop in the quality of horses more than they did a further weakening in the recession-battered Thoroughbred marketplace.
“The joint sale toppers (which brought $950,000 apiece) last year were in the first session,” Russell said. “That’s why we don’t like to compare mixed sales (from year to year) because you’re not guaranteed to have the same quality.
read full story at www.boodhorse.com
CANADIANS ELSEWHERE
Trainer MALCOLM PIERCE is back in the Sam-Son Farms fold, decades after he was assistant trainer to Jim Day during the farm’s hey-days.
Pierce raced a pair for the farm yesterday at Fair Grounds and the first-time starters TORREADORA (El Prado-Fleet of Foot was a closing 3rd in a 5 1/2 furlong dash. The 4-year-old had the tricky rail post in that opener.
Pierce is 3 for 26 at the Fair Grounds meeting.
Mark Frostad, who also still trains for Sam-Son, has the 2nd time starter QUICK SPLIT competing at Gulfstream tomorrow for Robert Evans.
Ontario-bred FOREVER AWESOME is entered in an turf allowance at Gulfstream tomorrow. The 3-year-old colt is by Awesome Again, is owned by Stronach Stables and trained by Todd Pletcher. He is 1 for 2 in his career.
OLD HORSES and BREAD AND BUTTER
The tough runners of the game are the claimers. It doesn’t matter of they are girls or boys anymore, you see them racing longer and longer if they toil at the lower levels.
Check out these ones:
Ontario bred PINWINEE WHISKEY is 10 and races at Beulah tomorrow for $3,500 claiming. The 12-year-0old mare FORTY SI is also in the race.
Today, the 12-year-old Skip Trial gelding JUMP BAIL races for $2,500 against 11-year-old BUCK ONE and 10-year-olds BOMBER BEAU and ROTAKKDIM.
NINE-HORSE ACCIDENT IN JAPAN RACE
6 jockeys injured
Dramatic photo:
